Tenerte y Quererte
by lilangelita
Summary: Akane dies and Ranma is left to dwell on the pain of her death all alone. That is . . . Until her spirit decides to pay him a very much needed visit.
1. Chapter 1

A. N.: I was listening to RBD while writing this -- which is how I came about the title -- and I decided to post it. I don't know if I'll continue it though, depends on reviews. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it with a smile. :D

**Tenerte y Quererte**

"I hate to say this Ranma, but you've got to forget about her. She's dead and she's never coming back." Ryoga whispered sadly. His best friend was in desperate need of help, and at the moment he seemed to be the only one who _could_ help.

Ranma shook his head and clenched his fists with shear anger. "I can't! I just can't!" He yelled. "You don't understand – she meant everything to me!"

Ryoga sighed and looked away. He didn't know what else to do, he had tried everything to help out his best friend but nothing seemed to be working. Ranma just wouldn't hear of the possibility of trying to forget her . . . And unfortunately, he had one card left to play that he had dearly wished he wouldn't have to use.

'_But desperate times call for desperate measures . . .'_

"Ranma . . . Akane would've wanted you to move on with your life and be happy." Ryoga began softly, his voice smooth and certain. "And you know it. She wouldn't want you to be . . . like this."

"I don't care." Ranma finally said after a moment's silence. "This is how I deal with pain, alright. Now get the hell out of here – I got work to do."

This wasn't how he had wanted his weekly meetings with Ranma to go, but this was how they always went. It was somewhat of a routine nowadays. He'd come, they'd talk for a bit before finally getting to the point, and then Ranma would throw him out as he vented some of his misdirected anger. Then he'd be alright for the following week – until their next meeting that is. But Ryoga was steadily growing tired of this. He had a life of his own, too. "Alright Ranma, but this is the last time. I'm serious. I can't take this anymore –"

"I never asked you to."

Ryoga blinked and chuckled a bit to himself before opening the door to leave. "I hope you can one day forget her, Ranma. That's all I can do for you."

Ranma turned and cast Ryoga the coldest glare he had ever given to anyone in his entire life. "I'll never forget Akane, and you can quote me on that."

Ranma sighed and plopped himself down on his uncomfortable couch. Grunting, he slightly moved to lie on his back. Every time he lay on his couch he always wished he could buy a better one, but unfortunately he was permanently broke. He worked just enough for the barest of necessities. Since Akane's death he didn't really see the point in having nice things anymore. Who was he going to enjoy them with? Another woman? No, there was only ever Akane, and there would only ever be Akane. Sadly, even if he tried no other woman would be able to compare to Akane.

Adjusting himself on the awkward couch he heaved another, much longer, sigh. "Akane . . ."

"_Oh, Ranma . . ."_

At the sound of the familiar voice Ranma immediately froze. It couldn't be who he thought it was – it just couldn't. It was probably just his sleep-deprived mind playing games with him once again. His mind did tend to that every now then . . .

"_Do you really miss me that much?" _

Hearing the voice once again Ranma slowly sat up and looked around his dismal apartment. It wasn't well-lighted so he had to squint a bit, but as he did he spotted a transparent figure floating next to his TV set – which he rarely ever used.

He blinked and gulped loudly. From afar it looked just like . . . "Akane?"

The figure stopped floating and glided towards a stray ray of light from the moonlight outside that had somehow managed to pierce through his dirt and grime filled window. When it came to a full stop, he stiffened at the sight. There, in all her glory and just as he remembered her the day she had died . . . Floated Akane.

"_Can you see and hear me, Ranma?" _

Ranma blinked one more time before he was able to command his head to nod in response.

The transparent figure of Akane placed her hands on her hips and seemed to narrow her eyes at him. _"Well, it's about time! I've been floating around your apartment for weeks, you jerk!"_

"A-Akane . . ." Ranma stuttered out as he slowly stood up to move towards Akane, but before he could reach out to touch her he fell to his knees and began to quietly weep. "Akane, it's you! It's really you this time!" He screamed out like he was trying to convince himself that it wasn't another of his hallucinations.

Akane frowned and floated to squat next to him – a delighted smile crossing her lips as he raised his head to stare at her. _"Yes, it's really me this time, Ranma."_ Upon seeing his still disbelieving face her smile brightened some more and her eyes slowly grew soft. _"I missed you."_

His body slackened and he sighed, but this time it was a sigh of relief. "Akane . . ."

Akane nodded and giggled girlishly. _"Tadaima."_

A. N.: Well, I hope you like it and don't forget to review!


	2. Salvame

Tenerte y Quererte

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything, especially Ranma.

Chapter 2: Salvame

Ranma was happy and confused at the same time – a mixture of emotions he hadn't really felt before. He turned to gaze at Akane curiously before scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Um … So this is real? I'm not going crazy here am I?"

Akane sighed and crossed her arms; looking away with a frown she muttered something under her breath. "_I don't know … Maybe you are_."

"Huh? What did you say?"

"_Uh, nothing_!" She quickly replied with a nervous laugh, then looking very serious she turned back towards Ranma. "_Ranma … You know I came here for a reason, right_?"

"… Sure." He whispered, still marveling over the simple fact that he was talking to Akane, a very dead Akane. He pinched himself just for good measure.

'_Ugh, this is gonna be tougher than I thought_.' Akane thought somberly as she floated near Ranma. She had desperately wanted to help out Ranma, and when the opportunity seized itself in her haste she hadn't realized just how awkward it would be waltzing up to him as a ghost. True, she had been possessed by a vengeful doll and such, but this was somehow much more different … '_This time I'm actually dead … And there's nothing he can do about it_.'

"Akane?" Ranma asked, her abrupt silence making him worrisome. He didn't like the strange look on her face either; usually it meant bad news was coming.

Slowly and carefully she floated closer towards Ranma, causing his eyes to widen in surprise as he nervously scooted away. Akane just smiled back tenderly at him, stopping to look him in the eyes. "_Ranma … Do you remember the day I died_?"

The question threw him off, he definitely wasn't expecting that, but in retrospect he probably should've. "… Of course I do … How could I forget?" He whispered out hoarsely in a struggle not to cry, he had done enough of that already. However, images of the fatal day kept replaying themselves in his mind and he found the tears rolling down his cheeks nonetheless. Angrily, he wiped them away with the back of his hand.

While Ranma tried to get back in control of his emotions Akane watched on in amazement. She hadn't known the extent of Ranma's suffering and seeing it first-hand really put it into perspective. "_You loved me didn't you Ranma_?"

"Do ya even hafta ask!" Ranma growled out, his hands suddenly clenched beside him. "… Even now … I still … love you." He managed to breathe out the last couple of words, the sincerity of them showing through and shocking Akane.

"_Then you have to accept my death_."

"No! I won't!"

"_Ranma, it was an accident! There was nothing you could've done_ –"

"Of course there was! You're my fiancée – it's my job to protect you!"

"_Ranma_ –"

"I should've been there for you! … I should've protected you!"

-Flashback-

Akane gripped onto her schoolbag as she ran to school, the tears she had been holding back for some time now falling down freely. Once again she couldn't believe what Ranma had done earlier that morning. She had just come back from her early morning jog and decided to take a short bath when she stumbled upon Ranma and Shampoo in a compromising position in the tub. As if walking in on them hadn't been bad enough, he had also been in the middle of yelling at Shampoo about how unattractive she was. Choking out a sob she quickly rounded a sharp corner of the sidewalk as she heard the distant call of her name. It was probably Ranma trying to catch up to her before she made it to school, which gave her even more incentive to pick up her speed.

As she ran she couldn't help but imagine Ranma with Shampoo, and out of reflex she shut her eyes tightly – wishing the sight would just go away. But it didn't and she cried even harder. She had thought that after all they had been through he would at least treat her a bit better, but it seemed like he still didn't care much for her …

"Akane!" A voice she could still hear through all the morning congestion called out to her, and with renewed fervor she pushed herself even farther.

Running even faster with Ranma still on her mind, she didn't manage to hear the roar of oncoming traffic. However, she didn't care where she was going; she just forced her feet to keep moving. Then, seemingly out of nowhere a large truck came at full speed towards her. Noticing the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel Akane growled under her breath as with all of her might she leaped off of the sidewalk to avoid the truck. However, a car going in the opposite direction didn't seem to be paying attention when suddenly Akane landed right in front of him. The driver of the car quickly went for the breaks, but it was too late – the damage had already been done.

Akane lay out in front of the car, bleeding heavily and unconscious with debris from the collision dug deep into her skin. Suddenly, everything went quiet.

"Akane!" Ranma called out as he neared the crash, his breath short and harsh. However, none of that mattered as his rapidly beating heart told him something bad had happened to Akane.

Quickly surveying the crash he gasped at what greeted him. A young man crouched down next to a bleeding Akane was checking her wrist for a pulse, while the driver of the truck groggily awakened to the sight and immediately called the ambulance on his radio. Speechless, Ranma slowly walked towards Akane's lifeless body. How many more times was he going to have to relive this?

"Akane …" He found himself whispering out loud as he neared her body.

The young man who was attending to her looked up at Ranma and frowned. "Do you know this girl?

Noticing someone was talking to him Ranma suddenly came back to life as he kneeled down next to Akane. "Y-Yeah … she's my fiancée."

"Well then that makes it even harder for me to tell you …" The young man began, looking down at Akane sadly.

Ranma narrowed his eyebrows at the man. "What is it! What's wrong with Akane!"

The young man sighed and shook his head. "She's dead, I'm terribly sorry." With that said he quickly walked back into his car. "I'm now late to work, but I send my condolences nonetheless."

Ranma blinked as the young man drove away, completely unaware of the driver who had accidentally run over Akane as he kneeled down beside him. "I'm so sorry! I just heard what that guy said … S-She just landed right in front of my car … I'm so sorry!"

Blinking once again Ranma shrugged as he picked up Akane into his arms. "It's okay, it was an accident. I understand."

The driver blinked at Ranma. "Um, are you okay?"

Ranma nodded, tenderly tucking back a loose strand of Akane's hair behind her ear. "Hmph. It's actually kinda funny … This is the second time I've held her like this, you know."

The driver stayed silent as he heard the ambulances nearing.

"… The first time I cried like a baby until she came back to me … Do you think if I cried like that she'd come back to me again?"

The driver sighed and then began to cry, he seemed to be very emotional over the whole situation. It somehow comforted Ranma to know that, especially after the gruff treatment of the previous man.

Then, in an instant the EMT's were by his side, taking Akane from his arms as they checked her injuries. However, when they were done it was the same result.

"She's dead. The impact of the car to her head killed her instantly."

Shocked beyond his belief as the news finally started to settle in Ranma did the only thing he could do, he screamed. "AKANE!"

-End of Flashback-

"_Ranma, you can't blame yourself for what happened_." Akane said delicately, trying her best to sooth him. "_It was an accident, and there was nothing you could've done to prevent it_."

Sighing, Ranma looked away from Akane. "Is that the reason why you came back?"

"It's ... one of the reasons."


End file.
